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Article: Frederick William (Brandenburg) (1620–1688; Ruled 1640–1688)
- Article from:
- Europe, 1450 to 1789: Encyclopedia of the Early Modern World
- Author:
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FREDERICK WILLIAM (BRANDENBURG) (1620
–
1688; ruled 1640
–
1688)
FREDERICK WILLIAM (BRANDENBURG)
(1620
–
1688; ruled 1640
–
1688), elector of Brandenburg and duke of Prussia. Frederick William, known as "the Great Elector," was the first of the great Hohenzollern rulers who established the Prussian state, which in turn created a united Germany in the late nineteenth century. The Thirty Years' War (1618
–
1648) made Frederick William's early years turbulent ones. For months he lay unbaptized because there was no money for baptismal festivities and because no proper godparents could be found. At the age of seven Frederick William left Berlin to avoid approaching ...